


Creatures of the Dark

by parttimefemmefatale (writingramblr)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Bad Wolf badassery, Dimension Travel, Episode AU: s04e08-09 Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, Episode Fix-it: s04e08 Silence in the Library, Episode Remix, F/M, Memory Alteration, Mindwiping, River Song is a figment of The Doctor's imagination, wibbly wobbly timey wimey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-30
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-17 13:06:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1388728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/parttimefemmefatale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“There’s a different kind of darkness taking over, when I’ve come from.”<br/>“What do you mean?”<br/>“I can’t say any more.”<br/>“Why not?”<br/>“You know very well why not. Paradox. You’d have to hide your memories from yourself. That should be kept for emergencies only.”</p><p>[A dimension cannon jumping Rose finds the Doctor, but it's not earth, and the time is wrong. </p><p>In her early days, she didn't travel alone. Together with her Torchwood team, and the Doctor and Donna,<br/>Rose must help them figure out what happened to The Library's patrons, and keep from revealing too much about what's to come.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> just a plot bunny i had a while ago, and after a quick re-watch of the 2 parter, i decided to write it up. it's fairly obvious to anyone who reads my blog or my stuff, that i'm not River's biggest fan. so this is me giving an alternate look at how things could have gone without her.  
> take that as you will.  
> early dialogue taken heavily from the episodes.

“So what’s this beach planet called?”

Donna asked with a smile, a rare expression, but one the Doctor was grateful for. He knew as well as she did they could use a break from death and danger.

He pulled open the doors of the TARDIS and the name died on his lips.

“We-e-e-ll…” He enunciated, attempting to delay the inevitable, but Donna pushed past him, and stopped short at the sight before her.

“What’s this? You’ve landed us in a university. Nice going spaceman.”

The Doctor would have pouted and been indignant, but he knew exactly where they were, and something was horribly wrong.

“This isn’t a university. This is a library. The Library. So big it needed no name, only a big ‘The.’ This whole planet is just devoted to The Library. I’d say it’s about halfway through the 50th century. But where is everyone?”

Donna shrugged, glancing around the large empty room, before looking back to the Doctor,

“Maybe it’s a Sunday?”

The Doctor shook his head,

“Nah. I never land on Sunday’s, nothing ever happens.”

Donna rolled her eyes, and tsked,

“Of course not. Heaven forbid you might have to attend church. They’d burn you at the stake.”

The Doctor smiled, but his hearts weren’t in it.

“Where is everyone?”

Donna coughed, and pointed obviously to the desk before them, only a few steps away,

“If this is the future, don’t you think they’ve got automated help androids or something? A computer you could ask?”

The Doctor whirled around, and sped off in the direction Donna was pointing,

“You’re so right Donna. Forgive me, but I just love the smell of books. By now, you lot you’ve invented all sorts of ways to read a book, mental implants, direct neural links, even a spray with the smell. But nothing beats good old fashioned hard bound or soft bound paper books.”

He inhaled deeply for emphasis, and his face relaxed almost back to normal.

Donna stared at him, half amused, and half in wondrous awe, that he could enjoy something so simple, before a voice startled them both.

An automated android it was not, and as it spoke, Donna flinched away at the realistic face which was perched atop a statue swiveling in their direction.

“I am Courtesy Node 710/aqua. Please enjoy The Library and respect the personal access codes of your fellow readers regardless of species or hygiene taboo.”

The Doctor leaned closer, peering at the statue, and Donna reluctantly did the same.

“It looks so real.”

****“It was a real person. They donated their likeness to The Library after they died. It’s like donating a park bench, or having a freeway named for you. Nothing ominous.”

Donna still felt uneasy, and the statue continued speaking,

“If you have any inquiries about The Library or any of the books that you can find here, please state your inquiry at this time.”

The Doctor whipped out his brainy specs and slipped them on, before speaking,

“Hello, I’m the Doctor. Tell me, where is everyone? They haven’t stepped out for lunch eh?”

“Here follows a brief message from the head librarian for your urgent attention. It has been edited for tone and content by Felman Lux Automated Decency Filter. Message follows: ‘Run. For God’s sake, run. No way is safe.’ Message ends. Please switch off your mobile comm. Units for the comfort of other readers.”

The Doctor looked pale, and Donna could have sworn he had freckles, something she’d never noticed before,

“Right, anything else?” The Doctor’s voice was eerily calm, and the Node continued,

“One additional message. Message follows: ‘Count the shadows. For God’s sake, remember…if you want to live, count the shadows.’ Message ends. Enjoy your time at The Library.”

The Node seemed to power down, and as it swiveled away from them, Donna looked at the Doctor,

“What did that mean? ‘Count the shadows?’”

The Doctor suddenly turned around, and spotted a tall shadow that was barely a few feet away from them, and looked up, but found nothing blocking the overhead light source.

“Doctor, what’s casting that shadow?”

Donna reached out to tap his shoulder, but he took her hand, and began to move towards the other side of the room, bringing her along at a rapid clip,

“It said run, so let’s get a move on!”


	2. Chapter 2

A universe away, and in a parallel dimension, Rose Tyler was preparing her team of Torchwood agents for their second jump.

Mickey was standing beside her, attempting to help her strap on her bullet proof vest.

“Do you think this will work?”

Rose managed a smile,

“I hope so. Not sure if I’d like to come back bleedin’.” Mickey snorted,

“That wasn’t really what I meant.”

Rose’s smile tightened,

“I know. I was just trying not to think about it.”

“It’s all right. We’ve got the coordinates set as best we can. This should be the one.”

Rose nodded, ignoring the ‘should’ and the waver in his voice.

“It’s okay Micks. I’ll be fine. I’ve got Lee, Dave, Anita, Evangelista and Dave Beta with me. We’ll be there and back before you know it.”

“Did you send the message?”

Rose’s face drained of color, and she shook her head,

“No. I forgot. Oh god. Do you think it matters? What if he would have gotten it too soon? Or too late? Or not at all?”

Mickey shrugged,

“I’m sure it’s fine. It might have just ended up confusin’ him.”

Rose nodded, but remained silent.

Only when she’d been properly trussed up, and her team had moved to stand beside her, cannons at the ready, did she look at Mickey again. She knew every time they jumped they risked everything. But time was running out, and Torchwood was desperate to find the Doctor.

“Wish me luck!”

Mickey grinned at Rose, and she could see the fear in his eyes, even as his voice sounded hopeful,

“Good luck Rose. Tell the boss I said hello.”

He barely had a second to see her nod before the switch was thrown, and the team vanished in a bright flash of light.

***

“Why don’t you just use your whatsit on the door?”

Donna was practically yelling in his ear, and the Doctor would have jerked away, if he wasn’t already in such a tizzy.

“Because it doesn’t do wood!”

He could imagine the massive amount of eye rolling happening behind him as Donna snarked,

“Well isn’t that just wizard? Move out of the way sunshine!”

Donna slipped a hand over his shoulder and brushed past him, kicking at the door with surprising strength.

The Doctor paused momentarily to thank her, and then rushed inside, quickly barricading the door with a long book between the handles.

Donna looked around the new room they’d escaped into and found herself staring at the moon above them, albeit a very large and bright one.

“That’s not right. It’s still daylight. How can the moon be up already?”

The Doctor barely spared it a glance,

“It’s not a real moon. It’s likely connected to the massive hard drive at the center of the planet. Some sort of false feature. Now, what was casting that shadow? Why ‘count the shadows’?” He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end, as his mind raced.

Donna stepped cautiously closer to the center of the room, where a strange looking lamp stood, but as she approached it, the top swiveled around and a small circular screen flashed on, showing the image of a long brown haired little girl, who shrieked, before the screen went blank, and the entire object fell over.

“Doctor?”

“Augh! I’m so thick. My brain’s too full of stuff, I need a bigger brain! What is it Donna?”

He spun around on the slick floor and his attention landed on the now dead lamp.

“Oh! Security camera!”

Donna peered at him skeptically,

“Are you sure that’s what it was? It looked like a little girl before it went dead.”

“It’s off now. Must have overloaded the power circuit. No one’s been in this room for a while then.”

“What’s with the lights? Must be a power surge all over.” Donna pointed out, and the Doctor followed her gaze to the nearest light fixture, but it was flickering, and not simply cycling.

“This place runs on fission cells. They’d out burn the sun. No, it’s something else. But what?”

“Why’s it so dark? The sun’s still up, and that weird moon.”

The Doctor sighed,

“It’s not dark. We need to get to the TARDIS.”

Donna looked at him,

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s not safe here. We need to leave right now.”

The silent security camera suddenly flared to life on the floor beside them, a piercing shriek sounded, before words began scrolling across the screen,

“The Library has been breached. Others are coming. The Library has been breached, others are coming.”

Donna looked puzzled,

“What does it mean? Others? The rest of the patrons maybe?”

The Doctor shook his head,

“Not according to the scans I’ve done with my sonic. There’s no one but us here.”

A bright flash of light flared across the room, and both Donna and the Doctor had to cover their eyes before it subsided.

“Maybe it meant them?” Donna asked innocently.

The Doctor was too busy staring in open mouthed shock as his vision cleared and his eyes focused on the group of six people.

The closest one had shoulder length blond hair, and a hauntingly familiar smile.

“Hello.”

The Doctor could barely get his words out fast enough,

“Rose?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliffhanger! 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> don't hurt me...


	3. Chapter 3

Donna wasn’t stupid. She knew exactly who Rose was. She’d managed to accidentally stumble upon one of her old garments, and the Doctor had gone off on a tangent, talking about their trip to the End of the World, and their first date, before everything had gone wrong.

“Rose Tyler?”

The blond girl in question turned to look at Donna, and her eyes went wide,

“Who are you?”

“Donna Noble.”

Rose smiled sadly,

“Hello. I’ve a feeling we’ll meet again.”

Donna snuck a glance at the Doctor, who still looked a bit shell shocked.

“Oi! I swear you time travelers drive the rest of us bonkers, you know that?”

Rose nodded, and would have said more, but then she noticed where they were.

“Hang on. This isn’t earth is it?” she turned away from them and called back to a man with dark hair and kind blue eyes, whom Donna suddenly wanted to meet, time traveler or not.

“Lee? What’s our coordinates? When are we?”

Lee fumbled with a small computer, and pressed a few buttons before replying,

“It’s the year 4856, we’re in The Library. The planet, founded by Felman Lux. The Library is the home of every work of literature ever written, and the core is the largest hard drive to date.”

Rose squeezed her eyes shut, and fought the urge to scream.

“Thank you Lee. That’s enough.”

The Doctor finally found his strength, and moved towards her, arms outstretched, as if to make sure she was real, and this wasn’t all a horrible nightmare inside another.

“Rose.”

Her eyes opened up and she fell into his open arms, forgetting the trouble for just that moment.

She held him tightly, attempting to say everything she’d never gotten to on Bad Wolf Bay, and simply relishing the fact he wasn’t _just an image, no touch_ in that moment.

After she’d gotten her fill, she pulled back, and he could see tears in her eyes.

“What is it? What’s brought you here?”

The Doctor would never say he wasn’t glad to see the human he thought he’d lost forever, but he knew where she was, he knew what kind of power that it took to be there. She’d risked ripping a hole in the universe to see him again. He wasn’t sure if he was angry with her or scared of her. All he knew was that it had been way too long, and he’d missed her.

Even if she looked as if she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. He felt like that all the time. How had this happened to her? What had she said about earth?

“You know it’s not safe here right? People are missing. All of them, every single one. The darkness, it’s more than just shadows, they’re full of-“

Rose pressed a finger to the Doctor’s lips, and he nearly went cross-eyed focusing on her hand.

“I’m here from Torchwood. This is my team.” She jerked a thumb from her free hand behind her, and the Doctor looked back to see Donna conversing with a tall dark haired man, while surrounded by four other similarly dressed people.

The Doctor wasn’t sure he liked what she was implying. She’d come from Pete’s world, but not alone. She’d brought five other people across the dimension with her.

“Why-?”

Her hand shifted again, and he shut up, meeting her gaze, where he could still see unshed tears in her eyes,

“Let me finish please. I’m trying to find you. On earth. Our earth.” Her voice cracked, and she inhaled swiftly, as if drawing strength from the very air surrounding them, even as the words “Too soon, too soon” Replayed themselves over and over inside her head.

“I can tell I’m too early, even though this is after where I’m trying to find you.”

The Doctor frowned, and gently pushed her hand away, keeping it in his, and lacing their fingers together. Oh how he’d missed that. The feel of her hand in his. It almost made the severity of the situation palatable.

“So you’re from the future? My future? Our…future?”

Rose looked miserable,

“There’s a different kind of darkness taking over, when I’ve come from.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t say any more.”

“Why not?”

“You know very well why not. Paradox. You’d have to hide your memories from _yourself_. That should be kept for emergencies only.”

“Rose, how is this _not_ an emergency?”

She smiled sadly,

“Because it isn’t. You’ll understand one day.”

The Doctor might have been frustrated with her, or he might have been proud of her for standing up to him, he wasn’t quite sure.

Not yet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lots of summarizing because i didn't feel like rehashing the entire episode. but i think i touched on the important stuff!

When he’d finally put it aside, the fact Rose had come back to him, only to be unable to tell him why it was too soon, he’d managed to tell the group about the shadows, and just why they were so deadly.

Vashta Nerada.

The piranhas of the air.

Donna and the others looked horrified when the Doctor explained, but Rose only looked lost. He knew it meant her mind was too busy thinking on whatever was to come, but he couldn’t worry about that now. If they didn’t escape The Library now, right then, there would be no future, no upcoming darkness to worry about.

He attempted to send Donna back to the TARDIS, but she protested, and wouldn’t leave without her new friend, Rose’s second hand agent, Lee McAvoy.

The Doctor would have protested, but he was too busy worrying about Rose to bother.

He’d sent them both to safety before he realized something had gone wrong. He’d not received a signal from the TARDIS that they’d been let in.

Rose watched his face as he realized what had happened, and when they, along with the rest of the Torchwood team came upon a security node bearing Donna’s face, the Doctor knew he’d messed up.

The shadows moved again, and took two of the Torchwood team, Dave and Evangelista, the two remaining besides Rose, Anita and Dave Beta began to run once more.

Eventually the Doctor came to a computer where he could hack in with his sonic, and discovered what had happened. It had really been Rose who’d figured it out, while the computer was insisting that 4022 people had been saved, that wasn’t how one was rescued.

They weren’t safe. They were saved.

The Doctor could have kissed her.

Rose, his brilliant companion, defender of the Earth. Seeing the obvious when his thick brain couldn’t muddle it out.

They reached the data core, and discovered too late that the Vashta Nerada had claimed Rose’s last fellow agents.

The Doctor managed to talk to them, through the agents and discover the truth, why such a large population of the shadow dwellers had come to The Library.

“The forests. Of course.”

Rose looked horrified, and if she’d had the time, she’d have let the Doctor continue brainstorming, but they’d run out of time.

The Vashta Nerada granted them 24 hours, and when the skeleton of her former fellow agent Anita collapsed, she turned to the Doctor, and gave him a sad smile.

“I’m so sorry.”

The Doctor looked puzzled, just before she swung the heavy cannon gun at his head.

***

He came to rather quickly, and Rose cursed his superior biology for that. He’d see her, and she’d have to make him listen.

“Rose, what are you doing? This is nonsense. Let me go.”

He struggled against the security cuffs she’d fastened him to a nearby computer column with, and huffed in annoyance when he realized she’d taken his sonic.

“Can’t let you do that. I have to do this. I’ll free Donna and hopefully Lee as well, and you can all go home. Take them back to earth. Let them have some manner of happiness before the darkness comes.”

The Doctor glared at her, but she knew there was no strength behind it.

“Why won’t you let me stop you?”

Rose shrugged,

“Stubborn I suppose. I’ve got you to thank for that. I do need you to promise me something.”

The Doctor pursed his lips before replying,

“What?”

“As soon as you get back to the TARDIS, you’ll erase me from your memories of today. Create some sort of fiction. Anything you like.”

The Doctor frowned,

“But you told me that this wasn’t an emergency. You said that-“

Rose choked on a laugh,

“I know what I said. But look at us, we’re almost fighting, and I’ve told you way too much. Only Donna can know what really happened today. Lee will be good too. I trust him. But I trust you most of all. I know you’ll do the right thing.”

The Doctor wasn’t quite sure if he could do it. Erase today? Forget he’d seen Rose, healthy and alive? He almost felt like risking a paradox, when she’d risked everything to find him.

“If I have to forget this, can you tell me something?”

Rose shifted in her seat, connecting the power nodules that would be necessary to reset the system, and free the saved lives.

“I ‘spose. What do you want to know?”

The Doctor stared at her, as if he was drinking her in, with every bit of strength he had, every synapse of his amazing mind firing all to capture the sight of her,

“How long until I see you again? For real?”

Rose shrugged,

“Not sure. I dunno how many more trips Torchwood will let me take, now that I’ve gotten half our team killed.”

She pressed her lips together, and tried to keep from crying, but the tears slipped out anyway, and the Doctor ached to be able to hold her. To stop her from whatever she was planning.

“It’s not too late. You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself.”

Rose sighed and shook her head,

“Don’t you get it Doctor? I’ll be fine. This is why you have to forget.”

She smiled at him, and through her tears he could see a faint golden shimmer in her eyes.

He swallowed, and suddenly felt the floor give way beneath him, so abrupt was the realization. Why he needed to forget. Because this was Rose Tyler, defender of the earth, and she was not any ordinary human.

“Bad wolf still lives in me. I can’t use it often. It’ll put me in a coma for weeks on end. But this is worth it. Trust me Doctor. I’ll see you again.”

The Doctor reached out for her again, as if he could strain the column the extra yard it would take to get to his sonic and her side, but it was in vain.

A bright golden flash of light flared around Rose as she pressed the power couplings together, and the computer hummed and sang, even as a different haunting song filled the air.

Bad Wolf.

The power that had killed him, well, almost, was not gone.

When the light finally faded, Rose was gone, and the Doctor could hear massive numbers of footsteps above him. Rose had jumped away, back to Pete’s world, was likely in a coma, and probably ripped a hole in the universe, he thought bitterly to himself. But she’d restored life to 4024 people, and now he would have to forget she’d even been there.

He shifted, and kicked out his foot, finally reaching his sonic, which he managed to drag towards him. If only he’d thought to do that five minutes earlier. He could have held Rose before she’d left him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter, hope it's to your liking!

“Doctor! You’re alright.”

The Doctor managed a grin for Donna, who he noted was holding rather tightly onto the hand of Rose’s last surviving Torchwood agent.

“Of course. I’m always alright.”

Donna eyed him carefully, too careful for his liking,

“Is that time lord speak for, ‘Not really alright?’”

The Doctor stuck his hands in his pockets, and nodded to her friend,

“Who’s this now?”

Donna eagerly took to the change of subject, and pulled the man forward,

“This is Lee. Lee, this is the Doctor. The most brilliant alien in the universe.”  
Lee smiled nervously, and stuck out his other hand, which the Doctor took,

“N-n-n-nice to m-m-m-meet you D-d-d-“

Donna sighed, and shook her head,

“Never mind Lee.” She stepped towards the Doctor and whispered, “Ever since we were in that computer thing he’s gotten this stutter. Few months of training and I’ll fix him right up.”

She winked at the Doctor and he would have laughed, if he didn’t remember the pressing issue at hand.

“Well! All’s well that ends well. Back to the TARDIS, move quickly now you two.”

He looked pointedly at Lee’s chest, where there was no longer a black vest hiding a hanging circular pendant of silver and yellow.

The computer also seemed to have confiscated his cannon weapon, which the Doctor had no qualms with. His head still throbbed where Rose had struck him.

They all returned to the TARDIS, and once safely adrift in the vortex, Donna pointed Lee down the hallway leading to the kitchen, and told him to make a cuppa for them both.

She bumped his hip with hers to get him moving, and to stop his staring at the console room.

The Doctor almost looked amused as he watched them. But when Donna turned to him, face expectant, he knew it was time to explain.

“Donna, I need you to listen to me.”

She blinked and nodded,

“Least I can do. I found my soul mate and he’s from another world. Of course.”

She might have giggled, but that would have been an _extremely_ rare thing for her to do.

The Doctor looked distracted, and Donna tried to focus,

“I am going to have to manipulate my memories of today. With the help of the TARDIS, don’t worry. You won’t be affected by it. But I’m going to have a different recollection of the events at The Library. If you need to bring up what happened, be mindful of that. Be sure to tell Lee to do the same. I’m going to have to take you both home, and you’ll not be able to introduce us until after whatever’s coming has happened. Do you understand?”

Donna squinted at him,

“Not really. You can’t know him because he knows your friend?”

The Doctor nodded.

“Just the sight of his face could trigger recall. That would be disastrous. The only reason a paradox hasn’t occurred is because I’m going to hide these memories, so in effect, I’ve done it. It’s going to happen. In fact, I’m taking you home right now.”

The Doctor threw a switch on the console, and twisted a knob, guiding them back to earth, in the year 2008, approximately mid-June.

Donna sighed,

“I suppose that means no time for a cuppa then?”

The Doctor shook his head,

“Sorry, no. Go say goodbye to Lee. I’m sure your folks will love him. You’ll be able to see him again soon enough.”

Donna did as she was asked, giving Lee a spur of the moment kiss, their first one shared in reality before walking back into the TARDIS.

She found the Doctor pacing the console room, walking as if trying to make his shoes squeak, rubber against metal grating, not a successful plan.

He heard her approaching and looked up, a wide smile taking over his face,

“Donna! Feeling better?”

She smiled nervously,

“Yes?”

The Doctor laughed,

“Don’t sound so sure! You told me that that was the last time you’d ever eat chicken after seeing what the Vashta Nerada could do.”

Donna froze halfway up the steps, before realizing what had happened. The Doctor had done it, while she was out.

He’d fixed his memories.

“Where are we headed now?” she asked cautiously, and the Doctor shrugged,

“Fancy a trip to a flea market? Not real fleas mind you. Though it would be interesting to meet a flea marketer. What say you?”

Donna matched his eager smile, and walked over to stand near him, eyes roaming the console controls, before throwing a quick glance down the hallway where Lee’d been brewing tea only hours before.

“Sounds like fun.”

“Hold on tight!”

***

When Rose arrived back in Pete’s world, she was unconscious. The moment she woke up, she knew she wouldn’t be asking anymore agents to go with her in the search for the Doctor.

It was too dangerous.

But not for her.

Never for her.

The Bad Wolf kept her safe, and it would help her keep the Doctor safe.

Even if the stars were going out, it only meant she had less time to pinpoint the proper time.

Nothing could keep her from finding the Doctor again.

She’d done it once, she would do it again.

Together they’d put things right.

***

**END**


End file.
